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government

In the Bible God is regarded as the supreme governor of the world and those who execute authority on earth are said to hold
it in trust from him (Ps. 72: 1–4; Rom. 13: 1–2; John 19: 11) to ensure that justice is done (1 Kgs. 10: 9). It may be desirable to delegate judicial functions, as Moses did (Exod. 18: 17–23), and it is held that, although Israel was a theocracy rather than a democracy, the people as well as the king shared in
the rights and responsibilities of the covenant with God (2 Kgs. 11: 17).

Even when the Jews were a subject people, it was expected by the Sadducees that obedience should be given to the government; and in the NT Christians are warned against subversion or defiance (1 Pet. 2: 13–17), though this attitude of submissive acceptance of the government was abandoned under the fire of persecution (Rev. 17 and 18).